U22 Vietnam aim for gold at 31st SEA Games
VOV.VN - The Vietnamese U22 national football team, the national women’s football team, and the country’s athletics team, have all been tasked with defending their leading position in the region during the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games which will be held in the country in late 2021.
These goals were set out during a conference held in Hanoi on December 31 and hosted by the Vietnam Administration of Sports and Physical Training to review the year.
During the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines in 2019, Vietnam’s U22 side won a gold medal after enjoying a resounding 3-0 win over Indonesia in the final, whilst the national women’s football team trounced their Thai rivals 1-0, bringing home a gold medal.
The national athletics team also recorded the highest number of medals, winning 16 golds, four more than Thailand.
The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been a great challenge for Vietnamese sport this year due to athletes having no chance to compete in international tournaments and having few ways to prepare for competitive events ahead in 2021.
Hoang Quoc Vinh, head of the Administration's Elite Sport Department, said that despite the difficult circumstances, the country has committed to organising the 31st SEA Games successfully and has set a target of maintaining the top position for the Vietnamese U22 squad, the national women’s football team, and the athletics team.
Athletes have also been set the goal of leading the tally at the 11th Southeast Asian Para Games (ASEAN Para Games 11).
Aside from key tasks at the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, the country is striving to have 20 athletes pass the qualifying round for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the prospect of going on to win medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
